Birth

:

September 26, 1930 in Vienna, Austria

Death

:

July 20, 2022 in Vienna, Austria

Period

:

Baroque

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

Alice Harnoncourt was a renowned classical music artist who made significant contributions to the world of music. She was born on July 29, 1930, in Vienna, Austria. Her father was a well-known conductor, and her mother was a pianist. Alice grew up in a musical family and was exposed to music from a young age. She started playing the violin when she was six years old and later studied at the Vienna Academy of Music. Alice Harnoncourt's career as a musician began in the 1950s when she joined the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. She played the violin and became a member of the orchestra's first violin section. During this time, she also performed with other orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Salzburg Festival Orchestra. In the 1960s, Alice Harnoncourt became interested in early music and began to explore the Baroque repertoire. She formed a chamber ensemble with her husband, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who was a cellist and conductor. The ensemble, called Concentus Musicus Wien, specialized in performing music from the Baroque period on period instruments. Alice played the violin and was the concertmaster of the ensemble. Concentus Musicus Wien quickly gained a reputation for their authentic and historically informed performances. They performed at major music festivals and concert halls around the world, including the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh Festival, and Carnegie Hall. They also recorded extensively, releasing over 50 albums of Baroque music. Alice Harnoncourt's contributions to the world of music were recognized with numerous awards and honors. In 1970, she was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art. In 1992, she received the Grand Decoration of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria. She was also awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1995. One of Alice Harnoncourt's most significant contributions to the world of music was her work in promoting the use of period instruments in performances of Baroque music. She was a pioneer in this field and helped to establish the practice of using historically informed performance practices. Her work inspired many other musicians to explore the use of period instruments and to perform Baroque music in a more authentic way. Alice Harnoncourt continued to perform and record with Concentus Musicus Wien until her retirement in 2012. She passed away on March 5, 2020, at the age of 89. Her legacy as a musician and pioneer in the field of early music will continue to inspire generations of musicians to come. In conclusion, Alice Harnoncourt was a remarkable musician who made significant contributions to the world of music. Her work with Concentus Musicus Wien helped to establish the practice of using period instruments in performances of Baroque music. Her performances and recordings were widely acclaimed, and she received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the world of music. Alice Harnoncourt's legacy as a musician and pioneer in the field of early music will continue to inspire generations of musicians to come.

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